Last week, there appears an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about suicide deaths due to jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inmarin/detail?&entry_id=55733.  According the Chronicle, last year there were 31 deaths, the year before that there were 34.  Over 1,300 people have died by suicide from jumping from the bridge since it was built.

And what is the essence of the story?  Apparently the Marin County Coroners Office wants to recommend suicide prevention barriers and this is controversial.  And guess what – more studies are apparently recommended.

Now, readers of this blog know how committed I am to research.  You also know that I am committed to action.  Will putting up an appropriate barrier decrease the rate of successful suicides by jumping from the bridge?  Highly likely.  Is this a good thing.  For sure.  So why is it not being done.  Who knows?

I remember the hard work that went into getting barriers erected on the Bloor St. Viaduct in Toronto.  There the effort was lead by a young man with lived experience of mental illness.  I know of the hard work that went into getting a barrier erected on the MacDonald Bridge in Halifax.  There the effort was lead by a mother who had lost her son to suicide from the bridge.

It the courageous activity of people like those Toronto and Halifax citizens that seems to be necessary before authorities can act.  I am so proud to know and support those leaders and I thank them for everything that they have done and continue to do in this regard.  What I don’t get is this.  Why is it so hard to do the right thing when it comes to mental health action?

September 22, 2009

Recent events in the National Basketball Association (NBA) involving two high profile players, Delonte West and Michael Beasley have highlighted the issue of mental health in the NBA.  And, this is an important step forward, not only for the NBA in specific but for professional sports in general.

Professional athletes are no less likely to suffer from mental disorders than the general population.  We can expect that approximately 10 to 15 percent of professional athletes will have significant and substantial mental health problems, including mental disorders.  The most common mental disorders will be: depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse.  A few may have bipolar illness or other psychotic conditions.

These disorders will affect them in both their personal and professional lives.  Athletes living with mental disorders can expect to have the same challenges that people who are not athletes but who are living with mental disorders have.  These include but are not limited to personal problems and decreased job performance.  One important difference however is that professional athletes are very high profile.  Their lives are often lived in a public arena.  When they have problems these are difficulties are known to the many, not only to the few. 

When mental disorders in professional athletes lead them to experience personal and professional difficulties these can be publicly addressed in positive or in negative ways.  One positive way may be for their employers (professional sports teams) or their associations (players associations, professional leagues such as the NBA , the NHL and others) to publicly acknowledge these difficulties – much as they now do with physical illnesses or injuries.  Another way may be for the players themselves to be open about their problems and to discuss them much as they discuss any physical injuries or other similar issues.  Another way may be for the sports media to become more knowledgeable about mental health problems and mental illnesses and to write their stories from a position of understanding.

Mental disorders affect everyone – including professional athletes. How they, their employers and the media handle these issues may have an important impact on how society in general and youth in particular understand mental illness.  Its time for professional sports to get “on side” – so to speak.

-Stan

According to a BBC article, a survey of of 27,000 teenagers found that “nearly one in two teenagers knows someone who has suffered from a mental health problem like paranoia after using cannabis.”

The research, which was carried out on networking website Habbo Hotel, found 64% of young people were aware cannabis could cause panic attacks, 41% knew it could bring on paranoia and 38% thought it could result in memory loss.

Over 50% of teenagers associated cannabis use with losing motivation and doing badly at school or college.

While the survey is far from scientific - it does point to some interesting trends among teens and their perception of marijuana use and how it affects mental health.

Recent research suggests that heavy use of cannabis may increase the risk of psychosis in some young people

The website Psychosis Sucks maintains that:

Psychosis can be induced by drugs or can be “drug assisted”. Some stimulating drugs, like amphetamines, can cause psychosis, while other drugs, including marijuana, can trigger the onset of psychosis in someone who is already at increased risk because they have “vulnerability”.

The risks associated with drug use for a person with psychosis include an increased risk of relapse, the development of more secondary problems (including depression, anxiety or memory problems), a slower recovery and more persistent psychotic symptoms.

The good news is that with early identification, treatment and support, people living with psychosis, substance abuse or a combination of these mental health problems can recover.

Because people with psychosis may have interlinked problems with substance use problems, treatment that combines both mental health and addiction services into one program is best.

ALSO - integrating treatment for psychosis and substance abuse into one program is an effective way
to help both problems at the same time.

Treatment programs include:

• Improving quality of life including belief in the possibility of recovery.
• Going beyond just eliminating symptoms of psychosis and substance use and emphasizing social and other supports.
• Motivation support to help you set and accomplish your goals.
• Taking medications as prescribed

For more info check out:

Psychosis and Substance Abuse Brochure for Youth (pdf)
Psychosis Sucks - Substance Abuse and Psychosis
Schizophrenia: A Journey to Recovery - A Consumer and Family Guide to Assessment and Treatment (pdf)
Rays of Hope - A reference manual for Families & Caregivers (pdf)
Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program Resources